Reggie Leach
Encyclopedia
Reginald Joseph Leach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey
right winger
who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League
(NHL) for the Boston Bruins
, California Golden Seals
, Philadelphia Flyers
and Detroit Red Wings
. He is best known for his time in Philadelphia, winning a Stanley Cup
with the Flyers in 1975 and being a member of the LCB line. He is of First Nations
ethnicity.
in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft
. Boston traded Leach, Rick Smith and Bob Stewart to California for Carol Vadnais and Don O'Donoghue on February 23, 1972. After playing three seasons in Oakland, the Golden Seals traded Leach to Philadelphia for Larry Wright, Al MacAdam and 1974 1st Rounder (Ron Chipperfield) on May 24, 1974. He finished his NHL career with a one season stop with the Detroit Red Wings.
His best season was the 1975–76 season with the Philadelphia Flyers, when he set career highs in goals (61), points (91), game-winning goals (11), and plus-minus with a +73 rating. Those 61 goals gave him the goal-scoring title (now the Richard Trophy) for the season.
He is best remembered as being one of very few players to win the Conn Smythe Trophy
, as MVP of the Stanley Cup
playoffs, as a member of the losing team in the final, a distinction he achieved while playing for the Philadelphia Flyers
in 1976. The Flyers were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens
in the 1976 final, but won the trophy after setting a the award for most goals in a single playoff season, with 19. The record has since been tied by Edmonton's Jari Kurri
. He is the only non-goaltender to win this award in a losing cause.
During that same playoff season Leach recorded a five-goal game vs. the Boston Bruins
, a record he shares today with Maurice Richard
, Darryl Sittler
, Mario Lemieux
and Newsy Lalonde
. Also, his total of 80 goals for the season and playoffs together set a new NHL record which stood until 1980-81 when Mike Bossy
of the New York Islanders
scored 85.
He played 934 career NHL games, scoring 381 goals and 285 assists for 666 points.
of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
as an associate coach. In the spring of 2008, it was announced that Leach would return to Manitoulin for the 2008–09 season as the full-time head coach and director of hockey operations.
)
song "Petition" which concerns the efforts of the citizens of Leach's hometown of Riverton, Manitoba to get him inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
.
On the television show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
, Leach's name was used as part of a trivia contest, on the sixth season episode "Mac's Big Break."
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
right winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) for the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, California Golden Seals
California Golden Seals
The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of...
, Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. He is best known for his time in Philadelphia, winning a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
with the Flyers in 1975 and being a member of the LCB line. He is of First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
ethnicity.
Playing career
Nicknamed "The Riverton Rifle" and "The Chief", Leach was drafted third overall by the Boston BruinsBoston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft
1970 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1970 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 11, 1970 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft...
. Boston traded Leach, Rick Smith and Bob Stewart to California for Carol Vadnais and Don O'Donoghue on February 23, 1972. After playing three seasons in Oakland, the Golden Seals traded Leach to Philadelphia for Larry Wright, Al MacAdam and 1974 1st Rounder (Ron Chipperfield) on May 24, 1974. He finished his NHL career with a one season stop with the Detroit Red Wings.
His best season was the 1975–76 season with the Philadelphia Flyers, when he set career highs in goals (61), points (91), game-winning goals (11), and plus-minus with a +73 rating. Those 61 goals gave him the goal-scoring title (now the Richard Trophy) for the season.
He is best remembered as being one of very few players to win the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
, as MVP of the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
playoffs, as a member of the losing team in the final, a distinction he achieved while playing for the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 1976. The Flyers were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in the 1976 final, but won the trophy after setting a the award for most goals in a single playoff season, with 19. The record has since been tied by Edmonton's Jari Kurri
Jari Kurri
Jari Pekka Kurri is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey right winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He is currently the general manager of Team Finland....
. He is the only non-goaltender to win this award in a losing cause.
During that same playoff season Leach recorded a five-goal game vs. the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, a record he shares today with Maurice Richard
Maurice Richard
Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
, Darryl Sittler
Darryl Sittler
Darryl Glen Sittler is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1970 until 1985 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.On February 7, 1976, Sittler set an NHL...
, Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
and Newsy Lalonde
Newsy Lalonde
Édouard Cyrille "Newsy" Lalonde was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League and a professional lacrosse player, regarded as one of hockey's and lacrosse's greatest players of the first half of the 20th century and one of sport's most colourful characters...
. Also, his total of 80 goals for the season and playoffs together set a new NHL record which stood until 1980-81 when Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
scored 85.
He played 934 career NHL games, scoring 381 goals and 285 assists for 666 points.
Coaching career
In late 2007, Leach joined the Manitoulin IslandersManitoulin Islanders
The Kirkland Lake Blue Devils are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.-Wild/Islanders:...
of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, the Northern Ontario Hockey Association, and Hockey Canada. The winner of the NOJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup with the winners of the Ontario...
as an associate coach. In the spring of 2008, it was announced that Leach would return to Manitoulin for the 2008–09 season as the full-time head coach and director of hockey operations.
Awards
- MJHL First All-Star Team (1967)
- Turnbull Cup MJHL Championship (1967)
- WCJHL First All-Star Team (1968, 1969, and 1970)
- WCJHL Goal Scoring Leader (1968 and 1970)
- WCJHL Scoring Champion (1970)
- WCJHL Player of the Year (1970)
- Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship (19751975 Stanley Cup FinalsThe 1975 Stanley Cup Final championship series was played by the Buffalo Sabres, making their first Finals appearance and the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers would win the best-of-seven series four games to two. This was the first Final to have two non-"Original Six" teams since...
) - NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
Goal Scoring Leader (1976) - NHL Second All-Star Team (1976)
- Conn Smythe TrophyConn Smythe TrophyThe Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
(19761976 Stanley Cup Finals-References:...
) - Played in the Canada CupCanada Cup (ice hockey)The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...
Tournament for Team CanadaCanadian national men's hockey teamThe Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior...
(19761976 Canada CupThe 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
) - Played in NHL All-Star Game (1976 and 1980)
- Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and MuseumManitoba Sports Hall of Fame and MuseumThe Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, dedicated to the history of sport in Manitoba and honouring the best in sport. The organization began in 1980 and in 1993, a museum was opened in The Forks...
in 1997 - Selected to ManitobaManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
's All-Century Second All-Star Team - “Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of FameManitoba Hockey Hall of FameThe Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
- Inducted into Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
Hall of Fame (1992)
Regular season and playoffs
In bold are NHL record(s) (tied with Jari KurriJari Kurri
Jari Pekka Kurri is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey right winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He is currently the general manager of Team Finland....
)
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1966–67 1966–67 MJHL season -Champion:On April 7 in Flin Flon, the Bombers won the MJHL championship and were presented with the Turnbull Memorial Trophy.-League Notes:Brandon Wheat Kings and Flin Flon Bombers transfer from the SJHL, after league folds.... |
Flin Flon Bombers Flin Flon Bombers The Flin Flon Bombers are a junior ice hockey team and current member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League , and are based in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. The team moved and became the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1978, but the Flin Flon Bomber name was retained... |
MJHL Manitoba Junior Hockey League The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League .... |
45 | 67 | 46 | 113 | 118 | 14 | 18 | 12 | 30 | 15 | ||
| 1966–67 | Flin Flon Bombers | M-Cup 1967 Memorial Cup The 1967 Memorial Cup final was the 49th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Port Arthur Marrs of... |
— | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 11 | ||
| 1967–68 | Flin Flon Bombers | WCHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
59 | 87 | 44 | 131 | 208 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 15 | 48 | ||
| 1968–69 | Flin Flon Bombers | WCHL | 22 | 36 | 10 | 46 | 49 | 18 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 0 | ||
| 1969–70 | Flin Flon Bombers | WCHL | 57 | 65 | 46 | 111 | 168 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 27 | 50 | ||
| 1970–71 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
23 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1970–71 | Oklahoma City Blazers Oklahoma City Blazers The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white... |
CHL | 41 | 24 | 18 | 42 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 56 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | California Golden Seals California Golden Seals The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of... |
NHL | 17 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 76 | 23 | 12 | 35 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 78 | 22 | 24 | 46 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 80 | 45 | 33 | 78 | 63 | 17 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 6 | ||
| 1975–76 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 80 | 61 | 30 | 91 | 41 | 16 | 19 | 5 | 24 | 8 | ||
| 1976–77 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 32 | 14 | 46 | 23 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1977–78 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 72 | 24 | 28 | 52 | 24 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | ||
| 1978–79 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 76 | 34 | 20 | 54 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1979–80 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 76 | 50 | 26 | 76 | 28 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 6 | ||
| 1980–81 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 79 | 34 | 36 | 70 | 59 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1981–82 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 66 | 26 | 21 | 47 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... |
NHL | 78 | 15 | 17 | 32 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Montana Magic Montana Magic The Montana Magic were a short-lived ice hockey franchise, founded in 1983, that competed for one season in the now defunct Central Hockey League, based in North America.... |
CHL | 76 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 934 | 381 | 285 | 666 | 387 | 94 | 47 | 22 | 69 | 22 | ||||
| WCJHL totals | 138 | 188 | 100 | 288 | 425 | 50 | 41 | 22 | 63 | 98 | ||||
| CHL totals | 117 | 45 | 47 | 92 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Canada | CC 1976 Canada Cup The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991... |
6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||
Popular culture
Leach is the topic in the John K. SamsonJohn K. Samson
John Kristjan Samson is a musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is a singer-songwriter and currently the frontman of the Canadian folk punk band The Weakerthans...
song "Petition" which concerns the efforts of the citizens of Leach's hometown of Riverton, Manitoba to get him inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
On the television show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American television sitcom that premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. New episodes continue to air on FX, with reruns playing on Comedy Central, general broadcast syndication, and WGN America—the first-ever cable-to-cable syndication deal for a sitcom...
, Leach's name was used as part of a trivia contest, on the sixth season episode "Mac's Big Break."